Chapter 150: Spring Harvests and Stormy Worries

The evening news broadcast from Hui San Base reported on the sudden hailstorm.

“Early this morning at five sharp, regions north of the Safe Zone were hit by severe weather—hail and heavy rain. The hail lasted anywhere from twenty to forty minutes, while rain persisted for fifteen to forty-five minutes. Thanks to the quick response of northern lords, most crops inside their territories escaped major loss…”

So it looked like the hail and flooding only struck the northern Safe Zone. Judging by the broadcast, Xia Qing’s territory wasn’t the hardest hit.

Before Xia Qing could think much about it, the broadcaster moved on to another bombshell: “This afternoon at Gui San Base, masses of evolved sea creatures came ashore—attracting huge flocks of evolved raptors.”

The moment she heard that, Xia Qing knew exactly where Hui San Base’s best sharpshooter, Luo Pei, had gone.

Evolved raptors were by far the hardest birds to deal with. They’d gather at Gui San Base to feed on those sea creatures, and if they didn’t get enough, they’d just take off together in search of food elsewhere—anywhere, really.

Humans living close together were their favorite prey.

Hui San Base had definitely called up the Squad to prepare for any evolved bird flocks heading this way. With a crisis like this, it probably wasn’t just Luo Pei; Yang Jin, the boss of Azure Dragon Unit, must have been brought in too.

But what about Zhang San? Why did he suddenly leave his territory?

Once the news finished, they played the weather report. Everything sounded normal, according to them.

But after what just happened, Xia Qing couldn’t relax at all when she heard the word ‘normal.’ She felt restless, like she needed to do something.

Now that she’d experienced it herself, she truly understood how hard farming could be. You spend months sweating and toiling over crops, and all it takes is one storm to wipe it all away.

That’s what they call living at the mercy of the sky. If you want to stand a chance at harvest, you have to do everything possible to prepare for the worst.

After the weather, the daily farming tips broadcast came on.

Wang Chuqi’s voice still brought comfort and hope as she said, “Congratulations to all our lords on another big harvest! The potatoes you planted in March, after four and a half months of growth, are finally ready to dig up.”

“Blue Star potatoes now take over a month longer to mature than before the big evolution, but their yield and flavor have improved dramatically. Lords who’ve already harvested for a taste can definitely vouch for that.”

Joy lit up Wang Chuqi’s voice: “Potatoes aren’t just a staple food, you can cook them as a side or turn them into snacks too. For all your potato recipes, tune in to tomorrow’s Food World show. But for now, let’s talk about storing your harvest.”

This was exactly what Xia Qing had been waiting for—her grip on her pen suddenly tightened.

“Besides the usual precautions against bugs and mold, there are three things you have to watch for with evolved potatoes: ventilation, avoiding direct light, and guarding against moisture. Once you’ve harvested, spread your potatoes out somewhere cool and airy for twelve to twenty-four hours to let surface moisture evaporate…”

As Wang Chuqi explained, Xia Qing jotted down every point. Worried she’d forget something, she started recording the broadcast on her phone so she could review later.

“Even if you use special vacuum-sealed storage at the right temperature, potatoes will only keep for up to thirty days. That’s why the experts at the Planting Center recommend not saving seed potatoes on your own. You can trade extra potatoes with the Caravans, or hand them over to the Caravans to deliver to the Land Management Department for safe keeping.”

“The Land Management Department will keep your seed potatoes in the Safe Zone’s central warehouse, and return them to you next year.”

“Lords who haven’t lost storage privileges through penalties can keep up to ten jin of seed potatoes free at the central warehouse. For ten to thirty jin, it’s ten points per jin. Anything over thirty jin costs twenty-five points per jin. Sound, undamaged potatoes for trade are worth twenty-five points per jin, and the price for damaged ones depends on their condition…”

As the farming tips concluded, Xia Qing switched off the radio and turned on her walkie-talkie, sorting notes while listening for the other lords’ chatter.

Tang Zhengbo was the first to speak up today. “Sister-in-law, has Qi Fu woken up yet?”

“He woke up just before dark. Thank you for checking, Director Tang.” Qi Fu was clearly trying to sound normal, but you could still hear the weakness in his voice.

With the news that Qi Fu had come around, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. The whole Lord’s Channel felt lighter.

Shi Chong chuckled, “Surviving a major disaster means good luck ahead. Qi, something great’s bound to come your way now. And honestly, you owe Dr. Chang, Xia Qing, and Third Brother for getting you through this—make sure to thank them properly.”

Qi Fu responded, “You’re right, Brother Shi. Thanks, Dr. Chang, Sister Xia Qing, and Third Brother. And thanks to everyone for thinking of me.”

Zhang San wasn’t around, so Territory Seven fell silent. Kuang Qingwei hopped in, “Of course. We’re neighbors, after all! Qi, if you need help with any heavy lifting these days, just call. I got hit by the hail too, but I can still move.”

Zhao Ze joined in, “Yeah, if you need anything, just let us know.”

Tang Huai snorted and muttered to his father and younger brother, “Easy to act concerned after the fact. When Qi Fu’s wife begged for medicine, none of these people dared say a word. Like they didn’t have any!”

Tang Zhengbo pointed out, “You had some too.”

Tang Heng, hidden from their father’s sight, silently mouthed to his brother:

Bro, you didn’t step up either.

Tang Huai smacked his little brother, then grinned sheepishly at their dad. “I’m not close enough to Qi Fu to go that far.”

“They’re not any closer, either.” Everybody knew Zhang San had given up life-saving medicine—nobody blamed him for saving it for himself.

Tang Zhengbo asked his younger son, “So what’s the relationship between Xia Qing and Qi Fu?”

Tang Heng replied, “Back in the Safe Zone, both of them worked on the Construction Crew. Qi Fu was Captain, Xia Qing the deputy—though not in the same squad. They definitely knew each other. Since moving here, she’s been asking Qi Fu for farming advice over the walkie-talkie.”

Tang Zhengbo nodded. “Xia Qing’s someone worth getting to know.”

Tang Huai rolled his eyes when he thought nobody saw. With how calculating Xia Qing could be, even if they wanted to make friends, she probably wouldn’t be interested.

On the Lord’s Channel, Qi Fu asked Plot One, “Brother Feng, are you there? Do you have any extra basic Protective Masks? I’ll trade sixty-five Greenlight scallion seeds for four.”

Based on trading rates among the lords, each Greenlight seed was worth twenty points, and a basic Protective Mask from the Safe Zone cost three hundred points each. Four masks meant sixty seeds. Qi Fu offered sixty-five because, after the storm, the roads were a mess—Zhong Tao’s caravan wouldn’t pass through for another three-to-five days, and he needed masks urgently.

Hu Zifeng came on. “I’ve got some. That works for me.”

Kuang Qingwei jumped right in. “Qi, I’d like to trade for Greenlight scallion seeds, too. Anything you need?”

Qi Fu gave a wry laugh. “Those were all set aside for planting myself. Between this disaster, covering my gear, and paying Dr. Chang for medicine, I ended up using most of them. The rest are for trading with Third Brother so I can repay Xia Qing for her hemostatics. Now I don’t even have enough left to plant.”

“No way, he definitely kept some for himself.” In Territory Six, Zhu Li muttered quietly to her husband while eating a Ground-Cherry Berry. “If not this year, let’s ask again next spring.”

Kuang Qingwei nodded and popped a berry into his mouth, too. The storm ruined all the wild ground-cherry bushes—there’d be fewer and fewer berries to eat this year.

Zhao Ze checked in, “Third Brother, are you back yet?”